Activists say that despite the sidelining by the authorities of reformists who advocate women's rights, there is still hope that the situation of the country's 35 million women, more than half the population, can be improved.
"The election is providing an opportunity," said activist Minoo Mortazi, who urges women not to let emotions influence their voting decisions.
"Even a candidate who is promising a better situation for housewives, by providing financial security merits a vote," she said.
Fereshteh Rouhafza, who is campaigning for conservative candidate Saeed Jalili, the top nuclear negotiator, has called for 'housewife' to become an officially accepted job, and for the promotion of women as "mothers and wives."
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"The ground is not prepared for women to focus on having kids and raising them," she said at a debate on the situation of women in the Islamic republic.
But Maryam, a 28-year-old private company employee, said she sees no point in voting as "women have no voice within the regime."
Moderate candidate Hassan Rowhani, who is also being backed by the reformist camp, has vowed that "discrimination against women will not be tolerated" by his administration, should he be elected.
His pledges however have little chance of being implemented as he is not expected to be able to blunt the conservative challenge for the presidency.
Meanwhile the only reformist candidate, Mohammad Reza Aref, pulled out of the race yesterday, under pressure from the reformist camp who believe Rowhani stands a better chance of mounting a credible bid against the rival conservatives.
Aref had urged Iranian women to cast their ballot, saying "without their participation no government could execute development plans," according to his women affairs advisor Zohreh Alipour, speaking to AFP.