Creating cut-through on International Women’s Day is no small feat but a small bronze statue of a small girl staring down Wall Street’s famous charging bull has made headlines around the world.
The sculpture titled “The Fearless Girl” was made by Kristen Visbal and was placed in situ in the middle of the night.
It has been temporarily installed by investment giant, State Street Global Advisers, to draw attention to the dearth of women in senior leadership roles on Wall Street.
“Know the power of women in leadership. SHE makes a difference,” the plaque at the girl’s feet reads.
“As a steward of nearly $2.5 trillion of assets, we want to engage with boards and management around issues that we think will drive core results,” State Street’s deputy global chief investment officer Lori Heinel said. “And what you find repeatedly is having more diverse boards and more diverse senior management will actually drive better results for companies.”
It is part of a campaign that calls on more than 3,500 companies—the ones that SSGA invests in on behalf of clients—to take steps to increase the number of women on their corporate boards.
A permit has been granted for the statue to be in place for a week but SSGA is seeking to have that extended.
Perhaps, like the bull itself, it will become a permanent fixture.