In a bid to distance herself from claims she is a political appointee, Ms Goward said the Howard Government's laws banning IVF access to these groups could prompt other exclusions.

She also revealed plans for a series of national inquiries into sexist ads, equal pay for women, childcare availability and the glass ceiling.

Asked about access to in-vitro fertilisation, Ms Goward said there could be other consequences of banning same-sex couples and single women.

"What is important here is: does it breach human rights legislation and does it begin a slippery slide down another slope?" she said.

"Once you start on this track obviously you can rule out or rule in other categories who may or may not be allowed to have children."

Prime Minister John Howard has repeatedly said it is every child's right to have a mother and a father.

Asked to comment on Mr Howard's views, she said: "I know a lot of Australians feel the best way to bring up a child is to have a man and a woman as its parents."

"We'd quite like a lot of things for our children but we don't always get them."

Federal Parliament is expected soon to vote on legislation to enable states to prevent women not in a heterosexual relationship accessing IVF. Ms Goward, who was speaking just days after securing the sex discrimination post, announced plans for inquiries into a range of issues where there was systemic discrimination against women.

"For example, there's the capacity to do inquiries into violence against women (and) to review the laws with respect to sexual and other violence against women," she said.

"I still get complaints about the way women are depicted in advertising and I thought it would be quite interesting to run a ruler over those matters."