Wall Street's Charging Bull statue has a fearless new opponent for International Women's Day

Sam Speedy
Updated

The Charging Bull statue on Wall Street, initially intended to represent the strength and resilience of the American people, has long since morphed into a symbol of the people who work near it: aggressive, stubborn, dominating day traders and investment bankers.

On March 7, a new statue arrived that changed the dynamic of the area in a big way.

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The Fearless Girl is a piece of guerrilla art, same as Charging Bull once was, placed by McCann ad agency for client State Street Global Advisors. It will be on display for at least a week according to AdWeek. 

The statue mimics the style of the bull in material and presence, but the contents are totally different in attitude.

The statue, placed on the eve of International Women's Day, features a defiant young girl, standing stoic and unfazed in the wake of the angry bull. The piece, by Kristen Visbal, is part of a SSGA campaign that's trying, "to emphasize that companies with women in top positions perform better financially."

The Fearless Girl "is meant to symbolize the power of women in leadership," but I think it symbolizes much more. 

Charging Bull has been, at least for me, a symbol of the kind of "boys club" environment that Wall Street embodies so proudly. 

There are countless articles detailing what it's like to be a woman on Wall Street, but the summary of most is the same: it's difficult to succeed not because you are not strong, and not because you are not qualified, but because the institution does not want you to succeed. 

A permanent residency of The Fearless Girl would be a constant source of strength for these women, and for women and girls walking down the street.

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