World
Eiffel Tower Shuts Down Amid Backlash Over Alleged Gender Restrictions During Hindu Group's Visit
The Eiffel Tower was closed for the entirety of Monday following a staff walkout sparked by allegations that female employees were sidelined during a private weekend visit by a delegation connected to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu religious organization.
The delegation visited the landmark on Saturday. According to a statement from the local trade union cited by French media, workplace instructions during the visit resulted in female staff being "sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible on the basis of their gender." The union said some women were told to leave their posts and move to other areas, with men taking their places, while all female employees were instructed to avoid certain zones while the delegation was present.
Union representative Diane Davoine told Reuters that women were removed from their workstations so men could take over, calling the situation deeply humiliating for female staff. She said tensions escalated over the weekend, leading employees to organize a meeting Monday morning both to open dialogue with management and to demand assurances that women would never again be treated this way at the company. Davoine noted that management had since apologized to staff.
The Eiffel Tower, which draws nearly seven million visitors annually according to its official website, remained shut throughout Monday, France 24 reported.
In response, BAPS issued a statement explaining that the visit was scheduled at the start of opening hours specifically to avoid inconveniencing other visitors, given the size of its delegation. The organization said the arrangement was coordinated with Eiffel Tower staff and that, to its knowledge, no one was ever denied access to the site. BAPS apologized for any distress caused, emphasizing its commitment to values of mutual respect and service.
The visit came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed, via video conference, the inauguration of a BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu temple in Paris.
Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company managing the tower, confirmed that the delegation had requested arrangements limiting "interactions with women" during the visit. SETE acknowledged that such conditions should never have been accepted, stating they contradicted the company's values and the principle of gender equality. SETE president Ariel Weil, also a Paris elected official, told AFP that the company would investigate the matter fully and draw appropriate conclusions.
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire voiced support for the striking workers on social media, calling the exclusion of female employees unacceptable and inconsistent with the values the Eiffel Tower should represent. He stressed that the site must remain a place where all people, regardless of gender, can move freely, and announced that an investigation would begin immediately to uncover the full details of what occurred.
French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé also commented publicly, stating that women in France are not asked to make themselves invisible and that no religious doctrine supersedes the laws of the Republic.
The controversy has drawn reactions from political figures ahead of next year's presidential election. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said France would never tolerate limitations placed on women's presence in public spaces. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, also a presidential candidate, said no culture, belief, or religion has the authority to dictate the role of women in France.