Eiffel Tower strike follows claims women staff were moved for BAPS visit

London/newdelhi,UPDATED: Sep 8, 2026 20:40 IST

The Eiffel Tower was closed for a day on Monday after staff went on strike over women employees allegedly being moved away from their workstations during a visit by a Hindu religious group. The protest followed an incident on Saturday during a visit by around 100 people associated with BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

The Paris monument reopened as usual on Tuesday after its operating company acknowledged that limited "interactions with women" had been requested by a BAPS delegation and said such "conditions should not have been accepted". The row came as BAPS consecrated its first major temple in France on Sunday near Paris.

Diane Davoine, a union representative in France, said women workers had been "moved away from their workstations as the delegation passed by". In a statement issued by the CGT trade union, Eiffel Tower staff condemned "workplace instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible on the basis of their gender".

"Some were asked to leave their posts and withdraw to other areas. In some posts they were replaced by men," the statement said. "And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present." The Eiffel Tower receives nearly seven million visitors every year.

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which describes itself as a socio-spiritual Hindu faith, has more than 1,300 temples across North America, Europe, Africa, West Asia, India and the Asia-Pacific region, according to its website. BAPS Mandir Swaminarayan Hindou de Paris has been described as the "first traditional Hindu temple in France", and a delegation is in France for the opening and has been touring sites across Paris.

The BAPS Hindu temple in Paris apologised and said it understood the concerns raised, which it took "very seriously". It said the visit had been organised in coordination with the Eiffel Tower teams at the start of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors. "To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone," it said on X, while offering "sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation". It also said it was "deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others".

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware of the opening of a temple by the BAPS Sanstha in the Paris area. As to the particular issue pertaining to the Tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned." Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking virtually at the inauguration of the BAPS temple on Sunday, Jaiswal said, "It is a common practice for the Prime Minister to convey his good wishes on such occasions. In this case, it was done virtually. There is no cause for any comment in this regard."

The incident drew strong reactions from French leaders. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said the staff's anger was legitimate and announced an investigation. "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 said on X. "It is not acceptable that such conditions can be tolerated. These are neither my values, nor those that the Eiffel Tower should uphold, where everyone - regardless of gender - should be able to move about and act freely, without distinction between women and men. It is urgent that full light be shed on the facts that led to this mobilisation." He added, "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. I will ensure this, everywhere and without exception. An investigation will be launched as quickly as possible."

France's Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet also condemned the episode, saying, "I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors. Welcoming others never means renouncing our values. In France, women fully occupy public spaces. No one dictates to them that they must become invisible there." French Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination Aurore Berge called it "unacceptable" and said, "In France, we do not ask women to erase themselves. No dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic." Former prime minister Gabriel Attal said, "In France, no culture, no belief, no worship, nothing nor anyone can dictate to women their place. Full support to the teams mobilising to defend our Eiffel Tower, beacon of freedom and emancipation."

The strike, triggered by the treatment of women staff during the BAPS delegation's visit, shut the Eiffel Tower for a day before it reopened on Tuesday. The operator has admitted the conditions should not have been accepted, BAPS has apologised, and French authorities have said an investigation will establish what happened.

With PTI Inputs

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