New Delhi: Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the company that operates the Eiffel Tower, will step down at the end of this year after an independent investigation found operational failures linked to the exclusion of female employees during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation. Ruivo has led the Societe d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) since 2018 and will remain in office until the end of the year.
SETE said the inquiry, conducted by an independent firm, identified a series of operational failures connected to the September 5 visit that resulted in female staff being excluded. The company described the situation as unacceptable, while the public account of the inquiry did not say deliberate discriminatory intent had been established.
The controversy began after a delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (Baps) visited the Eiffel Tower on September 5, as RNA Media had reported earlier this month.
Union representatives said female employees were told to leave some workstations as the delegation passed and were replaced by male colleagues. Staff subsequently stopped work on September 7, forcing the landmark to remain closed for the day.
The delegation comprised about 100 people and that management later apologised to employees over the incident. The episode also drew criticism from senior French political figures, who called for the circumstances surrounding the treatment of female staff to be fully established.
Paris city authorities launched two inquiries into the incident. One was conducted by SETE with an independent external firm, while the second was ordered by the City of Paris to examine the chain of decisions that led to the arrangements.
Following the investigation, SETE chair Ariel Weil called for corrective measures and gender equality training to prevent a repeat of the incident. Paris authorities had earlier said equality between women and men could not be subject to exceptions at facilities under the city’s control.
BAPS denied asking for different treatment of female and male employees. The organization said the visit had been arranged with Eiffel Tower officials at the beginning of normal opening hours because of the size of the delegation and, to its knowledge, no one was denied access to the monument.
BAPS also apologized for any distress or inconvenience caused by the episode.
Ruivo’s departure will take effect at the end of this year rather than immediately, as SETE moves to implement corrective measures following the investigation.