Czech female politicians posed for a calendar to raise money for a charity that helps improve the lives of children who have to stay in the hospital. (HO)

They're cute, they're sexy, and they're politicians.

A new 2011 calendar from the Czech Republic party Public Affairs is raising eyebrows around the globe because it features female members of the political party in sexy poses and often showing a little skin.

The women posed because they say they wanted to show that there are women in politics, and they can still continue to be women.

Some of the shots are funny, like that of MP Lenka Andrysova, 26, whose March photo shows her brushing her teeth while climbing on the bathroom counter.

Then there is the sexy Marketa Reedova, 42, who was the party's candidate for mayor of Prague. She lounges on two leather chairs showing off her long legs, a coffee and copy of Rolling Stone on the table beside her. Another shot shows her sitting on a window ledge painting her toenails.

"We want to draw attention to the fact that we have women in politics," Andrysova told the UK's Telegraph newspaper.

Reedova agreed, telling the newspaper,

"Women's political influence is growing. Why not show we are women who aren't afraid to be sexy?"

In a blog post on April 29, Reedova also defends the calendar from critics.

"I agree … the brave calendar shoot without proper reason loses its meaning," she wrote.

She noted one reason for doing the calendar was to raise money for the charity Foundation Archa Chantal, a group that helps improve the lives of children who have to stay in the hospital.

But she said perhaps the more important reason was to show that women are in politics, and they can be sexy.

"Being a woman politician in my opinion does not mean that you lose your femininity," she said, noting one political commentator, Bohumil Dolezal, was wrong in his interpretation of the calendar.

"The calendar is definitely not, as you say, shot in Playboy style," she said. "We will buy you a copy of Playboy and send it to you so you know what the magazine really looks like."