The Silk Sorority.docVIP

The Silk Sorority 　　When China’s Han Dynasty （206 B.C.-A. D. 220） opened the ancient Silk Road around 130 B.C. to facilitate trade with the West， women were one of the beneficiaries. Thousands of nameless women who ran or served at the inns along the route or sold things to passing travelers saw their small businesses grow. It also gave them a window to the vast world outside， providing glimpses into other cultures and lives. 　　With China’s 13th Five-Year Plan （2016-20） to focus on a new Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road that will revive， extend and modernize the old land and sea routes， women entrepreneurs from South Asia are hailing the initiatives， like their predecessors， in anticipation of the benefits they will bring to them. The two strategies are also known collectively as the Belt and Road Initiative. 　　Sri Lanka， the tiny island nation surrounded by the Indian Ocean， had a historical connection with the two trade routes. “When the overland Silk Road across Central Asia was blocked， [China’s] famous Admiral Zheng He visited Galle [a major city in southwest Sri Lanka] in the 15th century，” said Rifa Musthapha， chair of the Lankan Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce （WCIC）.“He visited six times between 1405 and 1433， his intention being to open a maritime Silk Road.” 　　Though women comprise 52 percent of Sri Lanka’s 21-million population， only about 10 percent of the small and medium enterprises are headed by them. The WCIC， targeting to rise at least one rung higher in the ladder of success， thinks the Belt and Road Initiative will provide the stimulus they need. 　　“It will connect a large number of countries in Asia， Europe and Africa，” Musthapha said. “Our members include several largescale companies already engaged in import and export. Our integration into the Silk Road Economic Belt will increase their prospects of widening their business relations. Even micro entrepreneurs’ ventures might attract international