Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Eiffel Tower chief to step down after women staff controversy
The company that runs the Eiffel Tower is changing its leader.
Patrick Branco Ruivo will leave at the end of the year.
The decision followed a dispute about a private visit by a Hindu religious group called BAPS.
Reports said female workers were moved away from their normal positions during the visit.
The company’s investigation said the visit was organised with serious operational problems.
Workers were upset and went on strike, causing the tower to close or delay opening for a day.
SETE said removing the women was unacceptable.
It plans new rules and training to support gender equality.
BAPS apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused.
Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has led the Eiffel Tower operator since 2018, will leave at the end of the year.
An internal investigation found operational flaws and shortcomings in organising a private BAPS delegation visit.
Female employees were reportedly removed from regular workstations, with male staff placed in their positions.
The controversy prompted a staff walkout and temporarily closed or delayed the Eiffel Tower’s opening.
SETE plans new gender-equality measures, training programmes and a dedicated protocol department.
- Who
- Patrick Branco Ruivo, SETE, Eiffel Tower employees and a BAPS delegation were involved.
- What
- Ruivo will step down after an investigation into the removal of female staff during a private BAPS visit.
- When
- The visit occurred on September 5 or September 6, according to differing reports; the closure or walkout followed in September, and Ruivo will leave at the end of the year.
- Where
- The incident took place at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- Why
- SETE said the visit was organised with operational flaws and unacceptable arrangements that limited interactions between the delegation and female employees.
Employee and equality concerns
Management and delegation response
Removal of female staff
Employee and equality concerns
Union representatives and employees viewed the instructions preventing women from remaining at their workstations or interacting with the delegation as unacceptable and protested through a walkout.
Management and delegation response
SETE acknowledged that the arrangements led to the unacceptable removal of women staff and said such conditions should not have been accepted; BAPS apologised for any pain or inconvenience.
Responsibility for the arrangements
Employee and equality concerns
The dispute raised concerns about management’s handling of the visit and its commitment to gender equality.
Management and delegation response
SETE’s internal investigation attributed the episode to operational flaws and shortcomings, while the company’s chair proposed new protocols and training rather than describing it as an intended policy.
- Operator
- Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE)
- Outgoing chief
- Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general since 2018
- Visiting group
- Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, commonly known as BAPS
- Delegation size
- Around 100 people, according to one report
- Workplace dispute
- Female staff were reportedly removed from regular workstations during the private visit
- Immediate impact
- A staff walkout led to the Eiffel Tower’s closure or delayed opening for a day
- Planned response
- SETE will introduce gender-equality measures, training programmes and a dedicated protocol department
- Annual visitors
- Nearly seven million people visit the Eiffel Tower each year
