A doctor at a London hospital and another man will face the first charges brought under legislation outlawing the practice, the Crown Prosecution Service says.
Dr Dhanoun Dharmasena is alleged to have mutilated a woman who had just given birth at the Whittington Hospital in north London.
Hasan Mohamed, who is not a health worker, is accused of encouraging and helping the doctor to carry out the procedure.
The pair will appear at Westminster magistrates court on 15 April.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a common traditional practice across Africa and in some communities in the Middle East and Asia.
It has been a criminal offence in the UK since 1985, and in 2003 the maximum sentence was increased from five to 14 years in prison.
Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said: “It was alleged that following a patient giving birth in November 2012, a doctor at the Whittington Hospital, in London, repaired FGM that had previously been performed on the patient, allegedly carrying out FGM himself.”
She said there was sufficient evidence and it would be in the public interest to prosecute the doctor for an offence contrary to section one of the female genital mutilation act 2003.
Mohamed will face one charge of intentionally encouraging an offence and a second charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Dr Dharmasena to commit an offence.
Prosecutors said they had looked at four other cases – one of which was new and three that were reconsidered after decisions to take no further action – and found insufficient evidence to bring charges.
One of the old cases involved a man calling a helpline for victims of genital cutting to ask for the procedure to be carried out on his two daughters. The new case involved two parents accused of taking their daughter abroad to have the procedure done.
Prosecutors are still considering another four cases, and are in early discussions with police about another two.