Eiffel Tower chief to quit after female staff told to stay hidden during Hindu group visit

Key Points:

• Patrick Branco Ruivo, head of the Eiffel Tower Operating Company (Sete), will step down at the end of the year following controversy over female staff being ordered to stay out of sight during a visit by the Hindu group BAPS.
• An internal inquiry found significant problems in the planning of the visit on September 5, which led to the exclusion of female employees, sparking a staff strike and widespread condemnation.
• Staff reported being sidelined, replaced by men, and restricted from certain areas during the BAPS delegation's visit, which they said contradicted the values of equality and nondiscrimination.
• Sete acknowledged that the BAPS group requested limited interactions with women, but said these demands should not have been accepted; BAPS and Paris city hall have both apologized for the incident.
• The visit was part of celebrations for the opening of BAPS's first traditional temple in France, with the request linked to the presence of monks, including their spiritual leader whose vows forbid contact with women.