Eiffel Tower chief to quit after female staff replaced by men during religious visit - BBC News                            (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crn8e069v7p7o)  (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crn8e069v7p7o)  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crn8e069v7p7o)  (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crn8e069v7p7o)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-36.413a37b227.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-48.010dc96bcf.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-57.1fcd0dc805.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-60.52f68a148f.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-72.f155fdb25f.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-76.cb5ee392d4.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-96.35ee2d1e20.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-114.7ccdf53cba.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-120.73e20442a9.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-128.060d346f09.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-144.e08bc23631.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-152.4de1981be0.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-180.1a18cb7b72.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-192.3ac042fa43.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-384.728e3a03d3.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-512.685da29e9e.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-16.8a240ceacc.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-32.5cf4e6db02.png)  (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/manifest.11b0cb15658c4719a2c19e25644577223adaa7b2.json)   (https://www.bbc.com)   BBC Homepage    (crn8e069v7p7o@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#main-heading) Skip to content  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) Accessibility Help          (https://account.bbc.com/account?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fcrn8e069v7p7o)    Your account       (https://www.bbc.com) Home  (https://www.bbc.com/news) News  (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth  (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel  (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife  (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future  (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV  (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds   (crn8e069v7p7o@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu)    More menu     (crn8e069v7p7o@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu)   More menu    (https://www.bbc.com/search?d=NEWS_GNL)    Search BBC      (https://www.bbc.com) Home  (https://www.bbc.com/news) News  (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth  (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel  (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife  (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future  (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV  (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds   (crn8e069v7p7o@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#more-menu-button)   Close menu          (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news)   BBC News      (crn8e069v7p7o@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-menu)    Menu  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) Home   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cmj34zmwm1zt) Climate   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world) World   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada) US & Canada   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk) UK   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business) Business   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology) Tech   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment) Science   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment_and_arts) Entertainment & Arts   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health) Health     (crn8e069v7p7o@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-more-menu)    More     (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in_pictures) In Pictures   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/bbcverify) BBC Verify   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat) Newsbeat         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world) World   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa) Africa   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia) Asia   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/australia) Australia   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/europe) Europe   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/latin_america) Latin America   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/middle_east) Middle East           Eiffel Tower chief to quit after female staff replaced by men during religious visit      (Hindu monks stand in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing traditional orange robes.)    Image source,  GettyImages  Image caption,  A delegation of BAPS Hindu monks visited the Eiffel Tower as part of a visit to Paris to open a new temple earlier this month       By George Wright     Published 5 hours ago           The chief executive of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower will step down after a backlash over female staff being replaced by male colleagues during a visit by a Hindu religious group.  Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has been director general of the Paris landmark since 2018, will leave his job at the end of the year, the company SETE said in a statement. It said an internal investigation found that "operational flaws and shortcomings" in organising the visit led to the "unacceptable" removal of female staff. They were replaced by male colleagues as a delegation of around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyenxp540vo) visited the Eiffel Tower earlier this month.  BAPS - a movement whose beliefs originate in the 18th Century - strictly separates men and women, including in temple activities and building entrances. At the time, SETE said the Hindu delegation had requested that the visit be organised so as to limit "interactions with women" and said that "these conditions should not have been accepted". A staff union representative said "women were asked to leave their places of work" and felt "humiliated".  Staff at the monument said female employees were also "instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present". The visit led to the closure of the tower as staff went on strike to show their outrage and politicians condemned the incident. Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of France's National Assembly, said after the visit: "I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors." The Socialist mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, called it an "absurd, unjust and unacceptable decision" and ordered two separate investigations. SETE chair Ariel Weil said on Tuesday that he had requested measures and training programmes promoting gender equality to be implemented.  "The coming months will allow us to prepare for the leadership transition under the best possible conditions," he said.      (A man wearing a backpack is out of focus in the foreground of the picture, which shows the entrance to the Eiffel Tower and a sign showing that it is closed.)    Image source,  Reuters  Image caption,  The tower closed as staff went on strike to show their outrage       BAPS apologised "for any pain or inconvenience caused" earlier this month, adding "we believe in the universal values of mutual respect and service". On its website, the group describes itself as a "spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship dedicated to improving society" through Hindu values. It has temples in major cities around the world, including London, Los Angeles and Sydney. It draws its beliefs from the teachings of Lord Swaminarayan, a late 18th-Century celibate ascetic who is regarded by his followers as an incarnation of Vishnu, the revered Hindu god of preservation. BAPS says the segregation of men and women was introduced for the benefit of women, but critics say 18th-Century beliefs have no place in today's world, and keeping women out in the name of religious practices is discriminatory.     Related topics  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cxw7q5zm562t) Paris  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c302m85qenyt) France           (vertical video collection) The video playlist   Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC      Previous     Next         1:26 Man City guilty of 'sham' contracts and misleading accounts. 00:01:26, play video Man City guilty of 'sham' contracts and misleading accounts    (Etihad Stadium at night)           0:58 What did Andy Burnham announce at Labour conference? 00:00:58, play video What did Andy Burnham announce at Labour conference?    (A man with dark hair wearing glasses and a dark suit walks through a crowd)           0:38 Man City CEO asked about Premier League charges. 00:00:38, play video Man City CEO asked about Premier League charges    (Ferran Soriano)           0:27 Burnham pays emotional tribute to his dad. 00:00:27, play video Burnham pays emotional tribute to his dad    (Prime Minister Andy Burnham addresses the UK Labour Party Conference. He has short dark hair and wears glasses. He is wearing a white shirt and dark suit jacket, with no tie.)           0:50 Are you paying for other people's retirements? 00:00:50, play video Are you paying for other people's retirements?    (Someone holding a number of 10 and 20 pound notes.)           0:55 Should Andy Burnham call an early general election? 00:00:55, play video Should Andy Burnham call an early general election?    (A young woman at the Labour conference in Liverpool)           1:28 Tennessee to execute first woman in almost 200 years. 00:01:28, play video Tennessee to execute first woman in almost 200 years    (A woman with curly brown hair having a mug shot taken.)           0:41 Man jailed for ramming stolen tractor into house. 00:00:41, play video Man jailed for ramming stolen tractor into house    (A tractor sticking out of the ground floor of a two-storey house.)           0:50 Noisy manhole misery for residents. 00:00:50, play video Noisy manhole misery for residents    (A woman with bobbed brown hair looks at someone off-camera)           0:41 Grab your sunnies, the warm weather is returning... 00:00:41, play video Grab your sunnies, the warm weather is returning...    (A woman and a child sit on a bench with their backs to the camera. The woman is holding an umbrella to hide from the sun. The sea is in the background and the pair are dressed in summer clothes.)           0:39 Marco Rubio: 'Foreign actor' involved in RAF Fairford incident. 00:00:39, play video Marco Rubio: 'Foreign actor' involved in RAF Fairford incident    (Marco Rubio has short, styled black hir, He is wearing a shite shirt and dark suit jacket, with a brown, patterned tie.)           0:52 RAF Fairford suspects released on bail. 00:00:52, play video RAF Fairford suspects released on bail    (Laurence Taylor wearing a navy blue suit and holding a folder)           0:39 Labour supporters on how Britain could be better. 00:00:39, play video Labour supporters on how Britain could be better    (A young woman at Labour conference in Liverpool. She has long auburn hair, and is wearing a navy top and brick-red cardigan.)           1:15 'Using my Welsh accent was liberating for me as an actor' 00:01:15, play video 'Using my Welsh accent was liberating for me as an actor'    (Catherine Zeta-Jones in her new film, with tied back dark hair and a purple fluffy jacket.)           1:13 The truth about oily fish and your brain. 00:01:13, play video The truth about oily fish and your brain    (Presenter Mykyta Osadchyi looking at the camera with an illustration of some fish above him)           1:09 The cyclist who dressed as man to avoid the Taliban. 00:01:09, play video The cyclist who dressed as man to avoid the Taliban    (Fariba Hashimi)           1:21 Why is an Orange Order march being blocked in NI? 00:01:21, play video Why is an Orange Order march being blocked in NI?    (Crowds of people block the Garvaghy Road in Northern Ireland.)           1:25 Here's how record UK diesel prices could get worse. 00:01:25, play video Here's how record UK diesel prices could get worse    (Faisal Islam)           1:04 Gamer gran named world's oldest female Fortnite streamer. 00:01:04, play video Gamer gran named world's oldest female Fortnite streamer    (A woman wearing a purple headset and a yellow blouse talks to the camera)           1:03 What's next for Man City? 00:01:03, play video What's next for Man City?    (A picture inside Manchester City football stadium. The stands are empty and so is the pitch. The word "City" is visible, spelt out in giant letters formed of white seats in the background.)               Top stories (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cve8x724e9ezo) Burnham vows to end existing pension triple lock in 2030 to help fund care     Published 4 hours ago            (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmeq847qxde5o) Chris Mason: Burnham delivers deeply political speech with a personal core     Published 3 hours ago            (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c63reg93xwzro) Man City guilty of 'sham' contracts and misleading accounts     Published 4 hours ago                More to explore (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm750pyz5r0eo) Taylor Swift dominated the VMAs, but do music videos still matter?       (Taylor Swift is on stage accepting an award at the MTV Video Music Awards. She is holding a silver trophy and wearing a black high-neck dress.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvj64l8e62jko) Amputee, nine, tells Catherine of Three Peaks success      (A boy wearing a suit sits in a chair at Windsor Castle. His prosthetic leg can be seen coming out of the trouser leg. The Princess of Wales looks at him smiling as she sits beside him with tea on the table in front of them. There is a man on the right in a beige suit jacket.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj207qk472zpo) Celine Dion kicks off Paris Fashion Week with surprise performance       (Celine Dion singing into a microphone with her right hand held aloft. She is wearing a strapless black velvet dress and a diamond bracelet.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c61mvy1emr2zo) I paid £30,000 for an 'influencer' degree. Here's why      (Destiny McGowan leans over some magazines)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6grvpppvw5eo) Blue Lights: The police drama hitting home in Northern Ireland      (A young woman with brunette hair dressed in a dark green police uniform which includes a body-worn camera, stab vest and walkie-talkie. She's standing in an alleyway with red brick houses and bins alongside her. She's holding an ear piece to her left ear. She has a stunned impression on her face.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6zxzj7dkq94o) If I'd fallen asleep I'd be dead, says man who had meningitis within a year of his brother      (Two men have their arms around each other.  The one on the left has brown hair and is wearing a green hoody and puffer jacket.  The man on the right is wearging a bright green sports top and has a medal around his neck and he is holding a bottle of water.  There are barriers in the background.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx7v4pep3725o) Married couple both world champion pole climbers      (Composite image of two pole climbers)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmx2zw1zvevyo) Harry Potter filming 'cuts off' villagers      (Picturesque cottages on a sunny day with front gardens full of blooming flowers.)         (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsletters/zgmn46f) US Politics Unspun: Cut through the noise with Anthony Zurcher's newsletter      (A cut of of Anthony Zurcher wearing a suit and tie in front of a red, black, grey and blue graphic background featuring the US Capitol Building)             Elsewhere on the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00304f5?at_mid=cDXPjHDyO7&at_campaign=Blue_Lights_S4_E1&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=p0f2cxpr&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Blue_Lights_S4_E1&at_bbc_team=BBC) The new series of the Bafta-winning police drama is here        (Blue Lights)        (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0032jxk?at_mid=yw39dB8utx&at_campaign=Disclosure_Investigates_Killer_on_the_Ward&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=SCT&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p0hrmv27&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Disclosure_Investigates_Killer_on_the_Ward&at_bbc_team=BBC) Was Colin Norris wrongly convicted of killing his patients?        (Disclosure Investigates: Killer on the Ward)        (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0030byq?at_mid=6hU4z9TSEO&at_campaign=Stacey_Dooley_Sleeps_Over_S4_E1&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=p0dglmgw&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Stacey_Dooley_Sleeps_Over_S4_E1&at_bbc_team=BBC) Stacey Dooley meets extraordinary families across the USA        (Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over USA)        (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct8grf?at_mid=GTWKW6AwRS&at_campaign=Business_Daily_Follow_the_Money_Why_does_an_Oktoberfest_beer_cost_16&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p002vsxs&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Business_Daily_Follow_the_Money_Why_does_an_Oktoberfest_beer_cost_16&at_bbc_team=BBC) Why does an Oktoberfest beer cost €16?        (Business Daily)            Most read 1 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8y5zxeq5dl3o) Three teenagers die after car enters river       2 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cve8x724e9ezo) Burnham vows to end existing pension triple lock in 2030 to help fund care       3 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6jdv7x5r8e1o) Prince William and Catherine's surprise visit to Kevin Sinfield's charity run       4 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p3kelx4epwo) How did the RAF Fairford incident go from 'suspected bomb plot' to police bail?       5 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crn8e069v7p7o) Eiffel Tower chief to quit after female staff replaced by men during religious visit       6 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqn8m342rgk9o) 'Quantity of petrol' but no explosives found in three vehicles near RAF Fairford       7 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmeq847qxde5o) Chris Mason: Burnham delivers deeply political speech with a personal core       8 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6z0zk9d31xdo) No 'deliberate' contact to stop car in A66 crash       9 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr209vl2z9jqo) Five takeaways from Andy Burnham's Labour conference speech       10 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjly4dn9r21qo) Soho House venue under investigation for food safety               BBC News Services  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628994)    On your mobile  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-50068132)    On smart speakers  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628323)    Get news alerts  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/20039682)    Contact BBC News     (https://www.bbc.com) Home  (https://www.bbc.com/news) News  (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth  (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel  (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife  (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future  (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV  (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds   (https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms) Terms of Use  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc) About the BBC  (https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/privacy) Privacy Policy  (https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies) Cookies  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility) Accessibility Help  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guidance) Parental Guidance  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact) Contact the BBC  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/careers) Careers  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcnewsletter) BBC emails for you  (https://www.bbc.com/advertisingcontact/) Advertise with us    Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidance/links-and-feeds) Read about our approach to external linking.         ()