Eiffel Tower closes amid row over women staff sidelined during Hindu group's visit
Eiffel Tower employees protested after female staff were asked to move out of sight during a private visit of Hindu group BAPS. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched "as soon as possible".
The Eiffel Tower was temporarily closed on Monday after employees staged a protest over allegations that female staff were asked to move away from their workstations during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation. The incident, which took place during a visit by around 100 people linked to BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) on Saturday, has sparked anger among staff and drawn criticism from senior French politicians.
According to union representatives, female employees were told to leave areas where they were working as members of the delegation passed through, allowing male employees to take their places.
"As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places," Diane Davoine, a union representative, told news agency Reuters. The delegation was in France for celebrations linked to the inauguration of a Hindu temple in the Paris suburbs.
Davoine said tensions among staff grew over the weekend, eventually prompting employees to hold a meeting on Monday.
"Tensions mounted over the weekend, so this morning, the employees decided to meet: first, to open a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again," she said.
The Eiffel Tower's opening was delayed as employees gathered for the meeting. Signs at the monument read: "The opening of the Eiffel Tower is delayed for operational reasons."
Davoine said management had apologised to staff over the incident.
Meanwhile, BAPS said the visit had been coordinated with Eiffel Tower authorities to minimise disruption and ensure normal access for visitors.
In a statement posted on X, the temple said the large delegation's visit had been scheduled in consultation with Eiffel Tower management at the start of regular opening hours to reduce inconvenience to the public.
The organisation said it was not aware of any instance in which female employees were asked to leave their workstations or visitors were denied entry to the monument during the visit.
However, it expressed regret over the matter, saying it sincerely apologised to anyone who may have felt hurt or inconvenienced by the situation.
The temple added that it remains committed to the principles of mutual respect and service to others, and that it takes the concerns raised over the incident seriously.
MEA DISTANCES ITSELF FROM CONTROVERSY
The Ministry of External Affairs has distanced itself from the controversy surrounding the temporary closure of the Eiffel Tower and allegations concerning the treatment of female employees during the BAPS delegation's visit.
On reports that women employees at the Eiffel Tower were asked to avoid certain areas during the BAPS delegation’s visit, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware of the opening of a temple by the BAPS Sanstha in the Paris area. As to the particular issue pertaining to the Tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned".
PARIS AUTHORITIES ORDER INVESTIGATION
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grgoire has ordered an investigation into the allegations behind the protest at the Eiffel Tower, saying workers' concerns were justified and deserved urgent attention.
In a post on X, Grgoire said he had taken note of the anger expressed by employees and acknowledged that their frustration was legitimate.
“It is unacceptable that such conditions could be tolerated,” he wrote, adding that they did not reflect either his values or those that the Eiffel Tower should represent.
He stressed that everyone should be able to work and move freely without discrimination, regardless of gender, and said equality between women and men must be upheld everywhere in Paris, including at its most iconic landmarks.
“It is essential that the circumstances that led to this mobilisation are fully clarified,” Grgoire said, pledging that an investigation would be launched as quickly as possible.
The mayor also vowed to ensure that gender equality is enforced across the city “without exception.”
The CGT trade union condemned what it described as "workplace instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible on the basis of their gender".
The Eiffel Tower's operator, Socit d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), acknowledged that the visiting delegation had requested that the visit be arranged to limit "interactions with women" and admitted that "these conditions should not have been accepted".
However, the operator did not publicly explain why the delegation wanted interactions with female employees to be limited.
SETE President Ariel Weil said the company would investigate the incident. "We are going to shed light on what happened, and we will draw the necessary conclusions," Weil told Agence France-Presse.
BACKLASH OVER WOMEN'S EXCLUSION
The controversy has also drawn a sharp response from Yal Braun-Pivet, president of France's National Assembly. "I refuse to accept that women should be told to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors," she wrote on X.
"Welcoming others never means giving up our values. In France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become invisible," she added.
BAPS inaugurated its first major Hindu temple in France near Paris on Sunday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also present at the inauguration ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, he said the temple would carry India's ancient ideas and human values to France while strengthening the cultural ties between the two countries.