"""

Management shake-up follows Eiffel Tower controversy

SETE, the company that operates the Eiffel Tower in France, is changing its chief executive after a controversy over female employees being replaced by male staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group. The company said Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has led the firm since 2018, will leave his post at the end of the year.

The departure was announced after public outrage over the treatment of a delegation of about 100 people that visited the tower earlier this month. The group was said to be affiliated with Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).

What did the internal review find?

According to SETE, an internal review found "operational disruptions and shortcomings" in the organization of the visit. The company said the removal of female employees from their posts was unacceptable.

In an earlier statement, the company said the Hindu delegation had asked for contact with women to be limited and that those conditions should not have been accepted. Worker representatives said some female staff were told to leave their workplaces; they were also instructed not to pass through certain areas while the delegation was inside the tower.

Strike and political reaction escalated the row

Following the incident, tower staff went on strike in protest and the monument was closed to visitors. The dispute also reached French politics.

  • Yaël Braun-Pivet, speaker of the French National Assembly, said she opposed forcing women to step back because of the demands of foreign visitors.
  • Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire called the decision unfair and unacceptable, and asked for two separate investigations to be launched.
  • Ariel Weil, chair of the SETE board, called for measures and training programs that would strengthen gender equality.

Weil said the coming months would allow the leadership transition to be prepared under the best possible conditions. The company said the crisis would lead to new steps at both administrative and institutional level.

Why has the BAPS controversy deepened?

BAPS is known as a Hindu movement with roots dating back to the 18th century, and it strictly separates women and men in worship and some spatial arrangements. The organization also has temples in major cities including London, Los Angeles and Sydney.

The group apologized this month for what happened and said it believes in universal values such as mutual respect and service. BAPS argues that separating women and men is in women’s best interests, while critics say the approach has become discriminatory in today’s world.

"""