Migration has a positive impact on girls’ education, healthcare and fertility rates in countries that export labour, according to a study by the World Bank published on Wednesday in Cairo.

“In a lot of countries, [such as] Pakistan, boys are favoured over girls, so they get a larger share of household resources,” said Maurice Schiff, the lead economist and co-editor of the report. “When additional income comes to the family through remittances sent by a migrant abroad, more tends to go to girls.”