This provision did not deprive women of their electoral right to contest the elections from general constituencies as independent or political party candidates. Despite this, women hold just 19.7 per cent of the seats in the current parliament, of which 13.37 per cent are reserved seats and 6.33 per cent are held by directly elected women members (Women in National Parliaments 2013). Only 11.76 per cent of cabinet ministers are women (National Web Portal of Bangladesh).