The Eiffel Tower in Paris shut its gates on Monday following a sudden staff walkout. employees protested the decision to remove female workers from their posts during a visit by the BAPS religious delegation.
The BAPS delegation's gender-based staffing request
SETE, the company responsible for managing the 330-metre monument, admitted that the Hindu religious group requested a visit organized to minimize contact with women. according to the report, this led to female employees being replaced or made "invisible" to accommodate the delegation's preferences.. The protest effectively halted access to the monument, preventing visitors from using the lifts for the entire day.
Ariel Weil and SETE's vow to investigate
SETE president Ariel Weil has committed to a full investigation into how these staffing arrangements were permitted.. Weil, who is also a socialist elected official in Paris, told AFP that the company intends to review all protocols regarding how such high-profile visits are organized in the future to ensure such conditions are not accepted again.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed sharp disapproval of the management's actions on social media . In a post on X, Hidalgo stated that agreeing to the delegation's conditions was "unacceptable" and demanded a clear response and accountability from SETE.
A clash of values in the shadow of the new BAPS temple
The incident occurs during a period of heightened visibility for the BAPS movement in France. The group, known as the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, recently consecrated its first major temple near Paris on Sunday, an event followed by a cultural boat procession on the Seine on Monday. The movement is noted for its close ties to the ruling conservative Hindu nationalist party in India.
This controversy touches upon the deeply sensitive French principle of secularism, where religious requests often clash with workplace equality laws. As the Eiffel Tower serves nearly seven million visitors annually, the tension between accommodating religious groups and maintaining gender equality in a public space has become a focal point for local debate.
The mystery of who authorized the gendered restrictions
Significant questions remain regarding the internal chain of command at SETE. While the company has acknowledged the failure,the report notes that it has not yet disclosed how the request reached management or which specific individual gave the final approval to remove female staff from their duties.
The lack of transparency leaves visitors and staff wondering if such accommodations are part of a broader, unwritten policy. While the tower was expected to reopen on Tuesday, the wider debate over faith-based requests at secular public venues is likely to remain unresolved in the French capital.
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