Controversy erupts in France over BAPS request to remove women from Eiffel Tower
Women employees were removed from the Eiffel Tower following a request from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.
Employees of the Eiffel Tower went on strike on Monday. According to employees and management, they were “shocked” by an incident a few days ago during a private visit by a Hindu delegation, where female employees were segregated.
In a statement released by the CGT trade union, employees condemned “such workplace directives” that led to female employees being sidelined based on their gender, replaced by men, and rendered invisible.
The statement said, “Some female employees were asked to leave their duties and move to other areas. In some places, male employees were deployed in their stead. Additionally, during the delegation's presence, all female employees were prohibited from passing through or crossing certain areas.”
This visit coincided with a cultural boat procession on the Seine River, organized by the spiritual organization Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
BAPS is considered close to the ruling conservative Hindu nationalist party of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Sunday, it consecrated its first major temple in France near Paris.
The company operating the Eiffel Tower, SETE, stated that the delegation had requested that the visit be organized in such a way that “interaction with women” was limited. The company acknowledged that “these conditions should not have been accepted.”
The company said that these conditions were “not in line with SETE's values and the principles of gender equality” and promised to accept the resulting “consequences.”
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire expressed support for the strike in a post on X, calling the segregation of female employees “unacceptable” and stated -
I am aware of the anger of the Eiffel Tower employees and want to tell them that their discontent is justified. Such situations are not acceptable. They are neither my values nor those that the Eiffel Tower should represent.
Every woman and every man should be able to come and go and work freely without any gender discrimination. The events behind this protest must be fully uncovered as soon as possible. Equality between women and men must never stop at the threshold of our historical monuments or anywhere in this city.
This should apply everywhere and to everyone. I will ensure this everywhere and without exception. A thorough investigation into this matter will be conducted as soon as possible.”
According to the tower's website, approximately 7 million tourists visit each year. It remained closed all day on Monday, but according to a staff representative, it will reopen as usual on Tuesday.
SETE's president Ariel Weil, who is also an elected representative in Paris, told AFP, “We will get to the bottom of this matter and draw necessary lessons and conclusions from what has happened.”
France's Minister for Equality Aurore Bergé expressed strong outrage over the incident. She wrote
X
In France, we do not ask women to step back or become invisible. No ideology, no religion is above the laws of the Republic. If the reports about the incident at the Eiffel Tower are true, they are unacceptable. In France, equality between women and men is neither a subject for negotiation nor something that changes with circumstances. It is a principle, and there is no room for exceptions.
Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, among the early contenders for next year's presidential election, also reacted to the matter. She said
In France, we will never accept that women's presence be ‘limited’. The full truth of what happened during this visit to the Eiffel Tower must come to light.
The former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Gabriel Attal stated,
No culture, belief, or religion in France can dictate to women what their place should be. I stand in full solidarity with the employees raising their voices to protect the Eiffel Tower—it is a beacon of freedom and liberation.
A few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated BAPS on the construction of a temple in Paris.
