This article examines whether long‑standing gender inequalities observed across Pacific Island countries persist among Pacific communities living in Australia. Drawing on demographic patterns and education data, it highlights that Pacific migrants in Australia remain a young and rapidly growing population, with women slightly outnumbering men. Despite moving to one of the world’s most gender‑equal societies, Pacific women continue to face notable gaps in educational attainment compared with Pacific men and with the broader Australian population. These disparities suggest that migration alone does not eliminate structural gender inequalities; instead, they continue to shape outcomes within diaspora communities. The article sets the foundation for a broader two‑part analysis, with the next instalment focusing on labour‑market differences between Pacific men and women in Australia.