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The company operating the Eiffel Tower confirmed that a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha known as BAPS had asked for the September 6 visit to be arranged in a way that limited interactions with women. SETE said these conditions should not have been accepted and that it would review how the arrangements were approved. Union representative Diane Davoine told Reuters that female employees were asked to leave their workstations so male colleagues could take their places prompting widespread anger among the staff.
Eiffel Tower employees and the CGT union released a statement condemning workplace instructions that led to female employees being sidelined replaced and made invisible because of their sex. The statement said some women were directed to withdraw to other areas while all female staff including contractors were instructed not to cross certain zones as the group of around 100 passed through. Workers described the situation as shocking and humiliating adding that management later apologised directly to them.
BAPS which was in Paris for the inauguration of its first traditional Hindu stone temple in a suburb issued a statement on social media apologising for any pain or inconvenience caused. The group said to the best of its knowledge no one was prevented from accessing the Eiffel Tower and that the size of the delegation had led to an early morning visit coordinated with officials to minimise disruption. BAPS added that it takes the concerns seriously and remains committed to mutual respect.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced an investigation would begin immediately stating on social media that staff anger was legitimate and the facts needed full examination. Gregoire who also holds a position with the operating company described the acceptance of such conditions as unacceptable. National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet posted that welcoming others never means giving up our values and that in France women are fully present in public life with no one telling them to become invisible.
French Equality Minister Aurore Berge said no dogma or religion is superior to the laws of the Republic adding that if the facts are confirmed they are unacceptable. SETE President Ariel Weil told Agence France-Presse the company would shed light on events and draw necessary conclusions while restating its commitment to republican values and equality between men and women. The probe will examine how the delegation request was communicated and implemented according to officials.
The Eiffel Tower reopened on September 8 after a staff meeting with management resolved the immediate dispute. SETE figures show the monument welcomed more than 6.7 million visitors to its paid levels in 2025 an increase of nearly 450000 from the prior year. The BAPS visit formed part of a 13-day Festival of Culture tied to the temple consecration in Bussy-Saint-Georges that drew participants from multiple nationalities.
