The “Fearless Girl” isn’t backing down yet.
The statue, commissioned by State Street Global Advisors as both a symbol of its campaign to increase female board representation and as an advertisement for the firm’s SHE index fund, has been granted an extended stay through February 2018 in downtown New York by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“In her short time here, the ‘Fearless Girl’ has fueled powerful conversations about women in leadership and inspired so many,” the mayor said in a statement Sunday to the New York Daily News. “Now she’ll be asserting herself and affirming her strength even after her temporary permit expires – a fitting path for a girl who refuses to quit.”
This is the second extension given to the bronze sculpture of a defiant schoolgirl with her hands on her hips, placed facing Wall Street’s iconic charging bull statue, on March 7, the eve of International Women’s Day. The installation originally had permission to stay for one week, but after ‘Fearless Girl’ went viral with an outpouring of support on social media, its permit was first extended through the end of the month.
“We would like to thank Mayor de Blasio and the people around the world who have responded so enthusiastically to what the ‘Fearless Girl’ represents – the power and potential of having more women in leadership,” said Ron O’hanley, president and CEO of SSGA. “We are thrilled that the can continue to share her positive message and inspire the next generation of women leaders.”
The statue stands on property of the Department of Transportation, and its longer-term permit will be granted through the DOT Art program, according to the New York Daily News report.
Fans are still pushing to make the sculpture a permanent fixture on Wall Street. As of Monday, a Change.org petition to “Make Wall Street’s Fearless Girl Permanent” had gathered more than 28,000 signatures.
Letitia James, public advocate for the city of New York, also campaigned for the “Fearless Girl” to stay in place. In a statement Monday, she said she was “pleased” the statue’s permit had been extended, but still wanted to see it become a permanent part of the financial district.
“The importance of empowering women is not temporary, and ‘Fearless Girl’ must become a permanent fixture in our city as a reminder to all women that no dream is too big and no ceiling is too high,” James said.
