The 'Fearless Girl' statue has been removed from its position of power staring down the iconic Wall Street 'Charging Bull'.

However, its home will remain in Downtown Manhattan's Financial District - with plans in place to relocate the statue to a new location in front of the New York Stock Exchange, a few blocks away.

The bronze statue of the young girl standing with her hands on her hips was first installed on Broadway in March 2017 as a marketing campaign by State Street Global Advisors in honour of International Women’s Day - but gained international respect for her message of defiance.

The statue, designed by Kristen Vibal, was meant to represent gender equality on Wall Street and encourage companies to employ more women at senior levels.

As its popularity grew and the statue became a tourist destination in its own right, campaigners requested she stick around a little longer than the originally planned few weeks - which the city eventually agreed to, on the basis that it would be moved to a new permanent home after a year,

To honour the memory of the statue, which has come to symbolise female empowerment, a plaque featuring imprints of her shoes has been placed where the "Fearless Girl" once stood that reads: “Fearless Girl is on the move to the New York Stock Exchange. Until she’s there, stand for her.”

Visitors to the landmark have already taken it upon themselves to stand in for the four-foot statue and face down the Wall Street bull.

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