Anum was born in Scotland and grew up in North Lanarkshire, alongside her two brothers. After her grandad immigrated to Manchester in the 1960s, and to Scotland in the 1970s, Anum's parents chose to make Scotland their home. 

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When she was younger, Anum's family were Labour supporters and she herself went on to become an active member of Scottish Labour and General Secretary of Muslim Friends of Labour. However, Anum had differing views on the future of our country and went against Labour party policy by campaigning for Scottish Independence in the 2014 referendum.  

 

Following the result, Anum made the decision to leave Labour and instead join the SNP, believing that they offered the best path to a fairer, more inclusive Scotland - one that could only be delivered with the full powers of an independent nation. 

 

Anum became an active member of the SNP and worked for various SNP Parliamentarians. She then retrained as a Teacher of Modern Studies and Politics at the University of Strathclyde. Anum taught at several schools throughout her placements and as a qualified teacher. As a teacher, she ran the debate club and taught various specific subjects from China as a world power and electoral systems.  

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After Airdrie and Shotts MP, Neil Gray, announced his bid for the Scottish Parliament, Anum was selected as the SNP's candidate for the subsequent by-election. With 46.4% of the vote, she was elected with an 8% majority.  

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In Parliament, Anum sits on the Women & Equalities Committee and is the SNP Spokesperson for International Development. As a former Modern Studies and Politics teacher, Anum is particularly interested in issues centring around social justice and equality, violence against women and girls, international relations, feminist foreign policy, and many other intersectional issues.