This detailed report covers the incident where women staff at the Eiffel Tower went on strike over their removal during a visit by a Hindu religious group, and the subsequent criticism from French political leaders. The article also includes responses from the company managing the monument.
On Monday, women staff at the Eiffel Tower went on strike to protest the removal of their female colleagues during a visit by a delegation of the Hindu denomination Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) on Saturday. The group consecrated its first major temple in France, located in the suburbs of Paris on Sunday, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending virtually.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, expressed her disapproval and demanded greater transparency about the incident. She stated that France will never accept restrictions on women’s presence, especially in a free country like France where gender equality is respected.
Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, condemned the 'degrading demand' made by BAPS and said such conditions should never have been met. Former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier also spoke out against the incident, stating that it was utterly unacceptable for women to be hidden or erased from public spaces.
Emmanuel Grégoire, Paris Mayor, promised an investigation into the matter, asserting that equality between women and men will never stop at historical monuments or anywhere in the city. Aurore Bergé, French Equality Minister, emphasized that France does not ask women to erase themselves and that no dogma or religion is above the laws of the Republic.
The Société d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, the company managing the monument, stated that such conditions 'should not have been accepted', as they were inconsistent with its values and the principle of gender equality. BAPS Paris apologized for any pain or inconvenience caused but maintained that it respects universal values of mutual respect and service.
Furthermore, French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé said that the strike by the staffers was widely covered by French media, including reports by Paris-based news agency AFP, state-owned international news television network France 24 , and newspapers Le Parisien and Le Monde.
Indian Alliance Paris, a collective of Indian students and professionals in Paris, said the incident should not become ‘fodder for more racism’. In a social media post, it described BAPS as a ‘regressive sect’ and said that it did not represent all Hindus or India.
The Société d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel stated that the Hindu delegation had asked for the visit to be arranged to minimize 'interactions with women', according to AFP reports. The firm added that such conditions 'should not have been accepted' as they were inconsistent with its values and the principle of gender equality.
BAPS Paris said that it respects ‘the concerns raised’ and takes them very seriously, but apologized for 'any pain or inconvenience caused'.
Source:
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