EMBARGOED: Not for news wire transmission, posting on websites, or any other media use until 1:00 am, Washington time on Monday, November 26, 2007, which is 6:00 UTC/GMT. See Embargo Policy for penalties for breaking embargoes

The International Migration of Women, edited by economists Andrew R. Morrison, Maurice Schiff, and Mirja Sjöblom.

Female Migration Increases and Spurs Development

WASHINGTON, November 26, 2007 — Women make up almost half the migrant population in the world and their numbers are increasing, according to a new World Bank report released today.

"The fact that women now account for almost half the total migrant population is having enormous effects on development," says Andrew Morrison, lead economist at the World Bank's Gender Group. "Women are sending lots of money to their families back home, and evidence from rural Mexico shows that their migration leads to positive economic effects for the homes they leave behind."

Between 1960 and 2005, the percentage of international migrants who are women increased by almost 3 percentage points from 46.7 percent to 49.6 percent, to a total number of approximately 95 million women, according to the new World Bank volume, The International Migration of Women, edited by economists Andrew R. Morrison, Maurice Schiff, and Mirja Sjöblom.