In the hours before International Women’s Day, a bronze statue called “Fearless Girl” was installed directly in front of Wall Street’s famous “Charging Bull” statue, without clearance or permission. Response to the statue was very positive (with certain exceptions). But now the creator of the Charging Bull statue – who in 1989 had also installed his sculpture without permission – wants Fearless Girl taken down. A case of hypocrisy emblematic of what women in multiple industries – but especially finance –deal with? Christina Cauterucci surprisingly didn’t think so:

• Charging Bull was set up soon after the 1987 stock market crash and was meant to represent a booming economy.
• Fearless Girl defiantly stares at the bull, symbolizing the sexual harassment that women deal with.
• But Fearless Girl has changed the meaning of Charging Bull. Instead of hopes for economic growth, the bull now symbolizes oppression against the innocent.
• Federal Law prohibits changing the meaning of a work in a way that could damage an artist’s reputation.
• But removing Fearless Girl would be a symbol too – that women shouldn’t occupy space on Wall Street.
• Some believe that Fearless Girl is a poor symbol for feminism. Instead of a strong confident woman, the sculptor went with a small powerless girl.
• Yet others are critical that it was commissioned to draw attention to the disparity in the number of women on executive boards by State Street – a company that only has three women on a board of 11.

Read more on Slate.