New Delhi, Jul 7 (IANS): Around 35 percent Indian women suffer from physical violence at the hands of their partners while nearly 40 percent men and women think that it is sometimes or always 'justifiable' for a man to beat his wife, a UN Women report said.

While the report, 'Progress of the World's Women' was released Wednesday, the formal launch in the capital was Thursday.

The report also said that nearly 10 percent women were victims of sexual violence.

A survey undertaken by an organisation called Sakshi, comprising 109 judges from district courts, high courts and the Supreme Court found that a shocking 68 percent of the respondents felt that provocative clothing was an invitation to rape, it said.

Talking about women in the work sphere, the report said that India loses out an average 4.2 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the absence of full labour force participation from women.

UN Women assistant secretary general and deputy executive director Lakshmi Puri, who was here for the launch, said: "India is a vibrant democracy with a strong civil society. It has the potential and the opportunity to use laws to improve the lives of millions of women across the country."