Senior Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop - who is expected to be the next Speaker of the House - has defended Tony Abbott's decision to include just one woman in his first Cabinet.

Mr Abbott unveiled his new frontbench yesterday, with incoming foreign minister Julie Bishop the only woman in Cabinet and one of just six in the 42-strong ministry.

The line-up has attracted strident criticism from some women within the Liberal Party and from Australian of the Year Ita Buttrose, who says it proves the "glass ceiling" still exists.

Bronwyn Bishop says women must be chosen on merit and, in time, several female backbenchers will be in line for promotion.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 2 minutes 34 seconds 2 m 34 s Ita Buttrose speaks with political reporter Simon Cullen ( Simon Cullen ) Download 1.2 MB

"Tony Abbott has used the term knocking on the door - they will," she told Radio National this morning.

"Many of them are newly elected and when you go into the parliament you really have to learn a lot - I'm sure they will.

"It's got to be a meritocracy."

But Ms Buttrose says she is disappointed Tony Abbott's incoming Cabinet only includes one woman, arguing it is proof the "glass ceiling" still exists.

"The glass ceiling still does exist in Australia," she told AM.

"We're told it doesn't, but that's just a nonsense - it does exist."

Ms Buttrose, who was the first woman to be appointed editor of a metropolitan newspaper in Australia, suggested quotas may be needed to ensure proper female representation.

"I'm sure Julie Bishop is accustomed to being the token woman throughout her career, and here she is being the token woman again," she said.

"Years ago when I was writing the Women's Weekly I was concerned at the lack of women in decision-making areas in Parliament, because I felt that our voice wasn't heard well enough and our views weren't canvassed well enough.

"You can't have that kind of Parliament in 2013. It's unacceptable."

Labor Senator Penny Wong says Tony Abbott's new frontbench sends the message that female Coalition MPs are not as good as their male colleagues.

The reality is we see an incredibly low level of representation in the highest policy-making decision body in the country," she said.

Ms Bishop will be Australia's first female foreign affairs minister when she is sworn in this week.

She has defended the make-up of the new frontbench, saying there are capable women within the Coalition who will be considered for promotion later on.

"I have never considered myself a token woman. I believe in people being promoted on merit," she said.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 16 seconds 3 m 16 s Listen to the story Download 1.5 MB

"I have now been appointed by Tony Abbott as Australia's first female foreign minister.

"This is one of the most senior positions of government.

"I don't see a glass ceiling. The number of women in the ministry will build over time.

"Currently there are a number of capable, talented women who will be considered for Cabinet in due course."

Boyce, Troeth, Vanstone express dismay over male-dominated Cabinet

Mr Abbott has admitted the situation is far from perfect, but he says all MPs need to earn their right to promotion.

But past and outgoing female Liberal senators have also protested loudly.

"I think it's shocking and I think it's embarrassing, and it's not just embarrassing nationally but I think it's embarrassing internationally," Senator Sue Boyce, who will retire next July, told the ABC's 7.30 program.

"I would hasten to add I do not see this as Prime Minister-elect Abbott's problem, I think it's a system issue for our party."

Former Liberal senator Judith Troeth says the line-up sends a bad signal that the party cannot have more professional women active in the upper reaches of Parliament.

"I mean this is running the country, now why aren't women equally as good at that as men are?" she said.

Amanda Vanstone, who was a minister in the Howard government, says more women on the frontbench does not equal a good government.

"Yes, we need more women. But first, we absolutely need stable government," she told The World Today.

"The Gillard government had lots more women in it. But it was a lousy government. And I say that not to say that women were to blame. It's a collective responsibility, a government.

"But what I do say is that more women doesn't necessarily make it a better government."

Bishop criticises Gillard's misogyny speech

Bronwyn Bishop also hit out at Julia Gillard's famous "misogyny speech", saying it was "disgraceful".

Last October, the former prime minster delivered a blistering attack on then opposition leader Mr Abbott, accusing him of being sexist.

Loading...

The speech made international headlines.

But Ms Bishop says it was "the most appalling speech I think I've ever heard".

"The misogyny speech was playing the victim, and from my point of view, as a woman, I found it a disgraceful speech," she said.

"I do regret that I didn't call a point of order at the time [arguing] that it wasn't relevant to the question that was before the chair.

"Instead of addressing the question which was before the chair, it was clearly a speech that was not to the point, but it played the victim.

"As a woman, I didn't like that."

Mr Abbott has nominated Ms Bishop as his choice for Speaker, however the final decision will be made by the party room just before the first sitting of Parliament.