[2] Ausma Malik was born in 1983 or 1984 to Pakistani immigrant parents as the third of four children and was raised in Mississauga, Ontario.

[1] In 2013, Malik earned her Bachelor of Arts with honours from St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto, where she majored in international studies and doubled minored in history and political science.

[1] In 2006, Malik attended a protest outside the American consulate in Toronto against civilian deaths caused by the Israel Defense Forces during the 2006 Lebanon War.

[1][8] During a ward trustee candidates debate, a small group of men interrupted her closing remarks by shouting that she was a "Jew hater" and "Hezbollah terrorist", eventually forcing her to abandon her closing statement and leave through a back door.

In July 2022, Malik went on unpaid leave as a director of social engagement at the Atkinson Foundation to run for Toronto City Council.