Mothers with babies are being turned away from prefectural and municipal assemblies, according to a recent report from Kyodo News. About 40 percent of assemblies prohibit mothers with babies or toddlers from attending.

That rule should be changed to allow greater access to politics for women. In a democracy, attending political deliberations and assembly meetings should be a right, not a privilege.

Of course, children cry, make noises and disrupt any adult activity they can. Mothers, at least, are used to such disruptions, but much of life goes on even with children in the room.

In assembly meetings, such issues as early education, pediatric facilities, child care, and safety concerns directly impact the daily lives of families and children, so it would seem that assembly members and chairpersons would welcome input from mothers, and fathers, too. It is almost Kafkaesque that a mother who cannot find any child care facilities in her neighborhood would be barred from attending a local assembly meeting on the very issue of child care.

Most importantly, it is increasingly clear that women, mothers or not, are not just concerned about "home" issues. They are also concerned about national politics. Ironically, it may be Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pushing controversial national security legislation through the Diet that has caused many women to get interested in politics. Abe's promotion of "womenomics" is a positive goal, but "womenolitics" is just as important.

The disruption that babies can cause to proceedings certainly must be taken into account. As any parent knows, having a rational discussion while a baby is crying is hard work.

To help with that, some prefectural assemblies have already set up areas with baby beds and soundproof glass, so that mothers can watch and hear the proceedings, but not disrupt or disturb others. Those facilities should be expanded and promoted in order to encourage the attendance of parents with babies. While many assemblies around the country have already abolished such prohibitions and have started to improve facilities, more needs to be done.

But practical issues aside, this continued prohibition is a vestige of the out-of-date thinking that a woman's place is in the home, not in government.

Having sharper and more numerous eyes on politicians can only serve the public good. What better observer for the working of politics than mothers with children? And who knows what those children will be learning, even as infants?

If they grow up knowing that their mothers participated in politics, and that they themselves can be involved, that just might serve as the seed for greater political participation that Japan needs for a better future.