The Eiffel Tower shut down on Monday after staff alleged that female workers were asked to leave due to a visit from the Hindu group. The visit, which was for a delegation for the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement, has now sparked a row.
As per reports, the staff at the iconic French monument went on strike after female workers were asked to leave.
“During the visit of this delegation, women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there,” Staff union representative Diane Davoine told news agency Reuters.
Davoine further told the news agency that the instruction did not sit well with the staff, especially with the women “who felt humiliated.”
“Some were asked to leave their posts and withdraw to other areas. In some posts, they were replaced by men. And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present,” she said.
“Tensions mounted over the weekend, so this morning, the employees decided to meet: first, to open a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again,” she added.
As per news agency AFP, the company which operates the monument, Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE) stated that the delegation had asked to “limit interactions with women,” adding that the conditions should not have been accepted.
“It is clearly not an acceptable practice. I restate the Eiffel Tower’s commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women,” SETE president Ariel Weil told AFP.
BAPS issues clarification
In a statement on X, the BAPS Hindu temple in Paris said their visit was coordinated in advance with the teams at the Eiffel Tower during the opening hours of the monument.
“To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone. Nevertheless, we wish to offer our sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation. We are deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others,” the statement said.
The visit of the BAPS delegation comes after the Hindu group consecrated its first major temple in France on Sunday, in the suburbs of Paris.
Paris mayor launches probe into visit
Following the row, Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said there would be an investigation into the circumstances of the visit.
“I am taking note of the anger expressed by the employees of the Eiffel Tower, and I want to tell them that their discontent is legitimate,” he wrote on X.
“Equality between women and men will never stop at the foot of our historical monuments, nor anywhere in this city. It must be applied everywhere, for everyone,” he added.
French far-light leader marine Le Pen also spoke out and stated that France “will never accept that the presence of women be limited.”
Former French prime minister Gabriel Attal also condemned the incident, adding that “no culture, no belief, no worship, nothing nor anyone can come to dictate to women their place.”
