• The director general of the Eiffel Tower will resign following a controversy over gender exclusion.
• Female staff were removed from duty during a visit from a Hindu religious delegation.
• Investigation revealed "operational flaws" in the handling of the visit.
• The Eiffel Tower was closed due to staff strikes protesting the management's actions.
• SETI is implementing training programs aiming to promote gender equality.

Patrick Branco Ruivo, the chief of the company operating the Eiffel Tower, will step down at the end of the year due to a backlash over the exclusion of female staff during a visit by the Hindu group Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) on September 5. An independent investigation revealed that operational failures led to the "unacceptable" removal of women from their posts, prompting Ruivo's resignation, as stated by the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) in a public statement, which identified significant flaws in their operational procedures, according to Le Monde, India Times, and BBC.

The controversy followed directives that led to female employees being replaced by male colleagues during the visit of approximately 100 BAPS members, who adhere to practices that segregate genders in certain religious contexts. SETE confirmed that the delegation requested limitations on interactions with women, but acknowledged that such conditions should not have been accepted, reflecting poorly on management oversight, according to Le Monde and BBC.

The fallout from this decision led to significant unrest among staff, culminating in a strike that temporarily closed the Eiffel Tower on September 7. Union representatives condemned the management's instructions as "unacceptable," with heightened scrutiny from political figures, including Yaël Braun-Pivet, who denounced the actions that forced women to step aside for foreign visitors. Paris officials have initiated additional investigations into the matter as a response to the heightened public outrage, according to India Times and BBC.

In light of these events, SETE's chair, Ariel Weil, has announced intentions to introduce training programs focused on promoting gender equality within the workforce. The BAPS organization has also expressed regret over the incident and emphasized their commitment to mutual respect and service, seeking to clarify that they did not intend to cause any disruption during the visit, according to Le Monde, India Times, and BBC.