A replica of the Fearless Girl statue in Wall Street has been unveiled outside the London Stock Exchange building in Paternoster Square.
The copy of the statue of a girl with hands clasped confidently on her hips will remain in situ for three months.
The bronze original in Manhattan was designed by the artist Kristen Visbal and commissioned by State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) and unveiled in March 2017 on the eve of International Women’s Day as part of a campaign to install more women on company boards.
Since the campaign was launched, 445 companies of 1,265 identified by SSGA as not having female board representation, have either added a female director or committed to doing so.
“We are delighted to bring this impactful campaign to London and continue to take a stand for the important issues of gender diversity at the board and senior leadership level,” said Lori Heinel, SSGA’s deputy global chief investment officer.
“Studies have shown that companies with greater gender diversity at the senior leadership levels generate better returns than their peers. That drives our conviction to continue our engagement and voting efforts as we look to make further progress on this important topic.”
Catherine McGuinness, chair of the policy and resources committee at the City of London Corporation, said: “This builds upon the City of London Corporation’s continuing efforts to increase the recognition of women in the City’s public realm.
“I hope that Fearless Girl will serve as a reminder of the progress we have made and the progress we still need to make.”
From 2021, SSGA has committed to voting against firms that do not have at least one woman on their boards.
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