A United Nations study revealed Friday that approximately two-thirds (67%) of women in Afghanistan fear the rights crisis would intensify if the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is recognized by the international community.

“Women expressed dread and anxiety when asked to consider the possibility of international recognition of the DFA (de facto authorities),” according to the report jointly prepared by U.N. Women, the International Organization for Migration, and the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

“Under the current circumstances, it could exacerbate the women’s rights crisis and increase the risk that the DFA would reinforce and expand existing restrictions targeting women and girls,” the report said.

The findings are based on interviews the U.N. agencies conducted online and in-person with 745 women across the 34 Afghan provinces between January 27 and February 8.

The U.N. report said that women requested the international community not to recognize the IEA unless they reverse the restrictions.

The interviewees stated that the best way for the world to improve the rights situation in Afghanistan was to link international aid “to better conditions for women, and to facilitate opportunities for women to talk directly with the Taliban (IEA).”

Amnesty International also demanded Friday that the Doha meeting must mark an end to impunity for human rights abuse under the IEA.

The watchdog group noted in its statement that “discriminatory restrictions on the rights of women and girls, with the apparent aim of completely erasing them from public arenas” have intensified in recent months.

IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the United Nations is not following its principles over the issue of recognizing the Afghan government.

“The issue of recognition also has its own principles in international laws. Interviews with a few people cannot be used as a criterion for recognizing or not recognizing a government. Unfortunately, the United Nations, without considering its own principles, is dealing differently with Afghanistan in this regard, and it is putting pressure from all sides,” Mujahid said.

He added that UN is used as a tool by some powerful countries.

The UN report on women comes ahead of Sunday’s UN-convened conference in Qatar, where member states and regional organizations’ special envoys on Afghanistan will discuss the global engagement approach with the IEA.