The Eiffel Tower experienced a temporary closure on Monday after female staff reported being instructed to hide or were replaced by male colleagues during a private visit by a Hindu group over the weekend. The incident has sparked an investigation and condemnation from French officials.
The dispute arose from a visit on Saturday by approximately 100 members of a group who were in the Paris area for festivities related to the inauguration of a Hindu temple. According to reports from staff and a union representative, female employees were asked by management to "make themselves invisible" ahead of the delegation's arrival, and some women were reportedly replaced by men at their workstations.
This alleged request for "interactions with women" to be limited has been described as shocking by staff. A meeting was organized on Monday morning to address the incident and prevent such treatment in the future. The tower subsequently reopened with a sign indicating a delay due to "operational reasons."
SETE, the operating company for the Eiffel Tower, stated that the conditions accepted were not in line with the company's values or the principles of gender equality. SETE president Ariel Weil, who is also a socialist elected official in Paris, called the practice unacceptable and reiterated the tower's commitment to republican values and equality.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced that an investigation would be launched promptly, acknowledging the employees' anger and deeming their dissatisfaction legitimate. French equality minister Aurore Berge reacted strongly on social media, asserting that women in France are not expected to erase themselves and that no dogma, religion, or belief supersedes the country's laws.
Prominent political figures, including centrist presidential rival Gabriel Attal and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, also condemned the incident. Attal emphasized that no culture, belief, or religion can dictate a woman's place in France, while Le Pen stated that France would never accept limitations on women's presence.