“…As such, there are a number of reasons why the gendered dynamics of voluntary work should receive greater attention. The voluntary sector as a whole has been the focus of much public and academic discussion: as a form of civic engagement and participation, volunteering is seen as a means of building a sense of community and social capital and delivering services that were once the responsibility of government (Healy et al ., ; Herd and Harrington Meyer, ; Oppenheimer, , ; Scott, ). Moreover, it can also be considered a technology of democracy (see Cruikshank, ) in that it encourages citizens to be both self‐reliant and active in local organizations, rather than expect services to be delivered by central government (Herd and Harrington Meyer, ).…”