For three years, she worked as a features writer for the English-language newspaper.[4] In the 1980s, she joined the Gulf News Ladies Society[38] and worked as a promoter organizing exhibits for traditional women's handicrafts.[39] At the time, little was known about the Emirati art scene and she helped found and publish the magazine, Al Juma.[38] She began publishing poems in English, Persian, and Urdu and subsequently published four books,[39] the first of which was her autobiography, Zelzelah: A woman before her time.[40] When the Gulf News Ladies Society went defunct,[38] Behnam joined the Dubai International Women's Club advocating for women's rights and working as a motivational speaker.