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Eiffel Tower chief to resign after female staff excluded during Hindu group visit
Patrick Branco Ruivo, the Director General of the company managing the Eiffel Tower (SETE), has announced he will step down at the end of the year. His resignation follows an internal investigation into an incident on September 5, where female employees were sidelined or instructed to leave their posts during a visit by a delegation from the Hindu religious organization Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
SETE described the exclusion of female staff as ‘unacceptable’ and acknowledged that the delegation had requested arrangements to limit interactions with women. The incident led to a staff strike on September 7, which forced the closure of the monument. The decision drew widespread condemnation from French politicians, including Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, who called the sidelining of women ‘absurd, unjust and unacceptable.’
In response to the findings, SETE chair Ariel Weil has called for structural reforms, including the creation of a dedicated protocol department and the implementation of gender equality training programs to prevent future occurrences.
Entities
Ariel Weil · BAPS · Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha · Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha · Eiffel Tower · Emmanuel Grégoire · Patrick Branco Ruivo · Sete · Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Female employees were instructed to make themselves invisible or leave their posts during the visit. www.thelocal.fr
- [● 20 SOURCES] SETE chair Ariel Weil requested the implementation of gender equality training programs. www.france24.com · toronto.citynews.ca · calgary.citynews.ca · english.mathrubhumi.com · halifax.citynews.ca · +15 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The BAPS group offered apologies to anyone hurt or inconvenienced by the situation. www.france24.com · www.ilpost.it · www.mojkraj.hr · www.hrkatha.com
- [● 30 SOURCES] Female staff members were sidelined or removed during a visit by a Hindu religious group on September 5. www.tvn-2.com · www.la-croix.com · www.thelocal.fr · www.france24.com · toronto.citynews.ca · +25 more
- [● 28 SOURCES] Workers staged a strike in protest of the decision to sideline female colleagues. www.tvn-2.com · www.la-croix.com · www.thelocal.fr · www.france24.com · toronto.citynews.ca · +23 more
- [● 31 SOURCES] Patrick Branco Ruivo will step down as director of the Eiffel Tower at the end of the year. www.tvn-2.com · www.la-croix.com · www.thelocal.fr · www.france24.com · toronto.citynews.ca · +26 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] The Hindu delegation, BAPS, requested the visit be organized to limit interactions with women. www.tvn-2.com · www.thelocal.fr · www.france24.com · english.mathrubhumi.com · nuevolaredo.tv · +19 more