Tony Abbott is set to seize on the most comprehensive study of gender inequality in the workplace to press the case for his signature paid parental leave scheme.

The ground-breaking study shows that women comprise just a quarter of management positions despite making up half the workforce – and are paid 24.7 per cent less than men who perform the same work.

Covering a third of Australia's workforce, the report shows that just 13.6 per cent of employers have a strategy for flexible working and – despite gaping disparities – only 7.1 per cent of employers have a stand-alone strategy to achieve gender equality.

Just under half the 11,000 employers covered by the report offered paid parental leave on top of the scheme introduced by the former Labor government.

All the enterprises will now be given confidential reports setting out how they compare on a range of gender equality benchmarks with organisations operating in similar areas.