Paris landmark chief resigns after gender‑discrimination controversy

Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has led the Eiffel Tower’s operation since 2018, will step down at the end of the year following an incident that saw female staff removed to accommodate a Hindu delegation that demanded segregation of men and women.

SETE, the company that runs the tower, said an internal investigation found that "operational flaws and shortcomings" led to the "unacceptable" removal of female employees, who were replaced by male colleagues.

The visitors were a group of around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu movement that strictly separates genders in its practices. The delegation had requested that interactions with women be limited, a condition that the tower had accepted in error.

A union representative described the experience as humiliating, noting that women were asked to leave their posts and were told not to pass or cross certain areas during the visit. The incident prompted a strike by staff, the temporary closure of the tower, and condemnation from French lawmakers.

"I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors," said Yaël Braun‑Pivet, president of the National Assembly. Socialist mayor Emmanuel Grégoire called the decision "absurd, unjust and unacceptable" and ordered a separate investigation.

SETE chair Ariel Weill announced plans to roll out gender‑equality training programmes and maintain a smooth leadership transition. The tower’s director general will leave his job after the year ends.