Eiffel Tower chief to leave after row over women staff

Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has led the company operating the Eiffel Tower since 2018, will step down at the end of the year after a controversy over the treatment of female workers during a private visit, the company said on Tuesday. SETE said an internal investigation found “operational flaws and shortcomings” in the organisation of the visit. It described the removal of women staff as “unacceptable”.

The visit involved members of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a worldwide Hindu religious and civic organisation commonly known as BAPS. The group was holding celebrations connected with the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple near Paris. Workers at the 330-metre landmark walked out on September 8, after female employees were sidelined during the visit.

The decision triggered outrage in France and criticism from politicians across the political spectrum. BAPS issued “sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation”, according to the supplied report. The controversy also prompted scrutiny of the group’s activities.

Ariel Weil, SETE’s chair, said she had requested measures and training programmes to promote gender equality. The company said Ruivo would leave his post at the end of 2026. The incident has made the management of the landmark the subject of a public dispute over workplace treatment, religious visitors and gender equality.