Germany is to offer a third gender option for intersex people to use on official documents.
Under a new law, adopted on December 22, intersex people can now legally identify themselves as a third gender for official, legal documents.
Options on documents will now read as ‘male’, ‘female’ and ‘diverse’.
For people who do not fit the biological definition of male or female, the third gender option could be used provided those choosing this category have a doctor’s certificate to register, the BBC reports.
Intersex people are born with both male and female sex characteristics, which can appear at birth or later in life.
Germany is the latest country to pass the law, as other countries around the world have previously.
Australia, New Zealand, Malta, India and Canada have all passed similar measures, as well as Austria’s constitutional court making a similar ruling to Germany in June 2018.
Germany had previously allowed intersex people to opt out of choosing either male or female as a gender in 2013, although this law will allow people to legally have a third gender now.
The new law has been hailed as a "small revolution" by activists.
Dritte Option group tweeted: "We are completely overwhelmed and speechless. That borders on a small revolution in gender.
"Thank you for your support over the last few years!"
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