Statue of defiant girl faces off with Wall Street bull

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - On the eve of International Women's Day, a bronze statue was erected in lower Manhattan of a young girl standing defiant to the iconic charging bull in Manhattan's Financial District.

With her hands on her hips and a pony tail in her hair, the 'Fearless Girl' created by artist Kristen Visbal stands at a distance from the bull in Bowling Green Park.  A plaque at her feet says: "Know the power of women in leadership. SHE makes a difference."

The bull has become a a mascot for Wall Street after it was placed there more than 25 years ago. It symbolizes a bull market or optimism that stocks will rise and money will be made.

The statue of the girl was commissioned by financial services company State Street. The company wants to encourage other employers to put women in top managerial positions and provide equal pay.

"We placed a new symbol of women and leadership in a place that no one can ignore," the company wrote on Twitter.

With the Associated Press