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Canadians will be able to identify as gender-neutral on their passports.

As well as the “M” for male and “F” for female boxes, citizens will also have the option of “X”.

The “X” will indicate that the individual's gender is unspecified and will apply to passports and other documents issued by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The new measure comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau drives to make Canadian life better reflect the country’s diversity. All Canadian government-issued documents are set to become gender-neutral.

Canadians should be free to "express their gender as they choose," says the country's immigration minister, Ahmed Hussen.

"All Canadians should feel safe to be themselves, live according to their gender identity and express their gender as they choose," he announced in an official statement.

"By introducing an “X” gender designation in our government-issued documents, we are taking an important step towards advancing equality for all Canadians regardless of gender identity or expression.”