Although still not present at an equal proportion to men, women are becoming increasingly present in the labor force in the United States. It may be important to consider the possible effect that women's increased labor force participation has for the community. More specifically, this research aims to examine the effects of women's increased labor force participation on voluntary participation in rural communities. Data from a survey completed in 2004 was used to explore the present topic of women volunteers in rural communities. Questionnaires were sent by mail to 15,000 residents of Iowa. Theories relating to this area of research were examined and tested to gain a better understanding of the roles of women in small communities. Limited evidence was found in favor of both human capital and role overload perspectives.