Islam is equally feminine, cherishes women, and gives them all their rights, explaining why women revert to Islam in large numbers. Aisha was in a happy marriage and never reported Muhammad harming her in any way.
There is a growing problem in Islam with feminism as Muslimas discover more freedom in Western countries and the freedoms of non-Muslim women.
Western women convert primarily out of ignorance of the primary Islamic sources rather than deep theological knowledge. There is evidence that around 70% of new converts leave Islam within the first two years. Islam is creating more ex-Muslims than new converts.
This data point stems from the sociological research of Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus, a prominent American-Muslim sociologist and professor emeritus of sociology at the State University of New York (Mayer, 2010)
Mayer, T. M. (2010). Islam in America: Why U.S. Muslims are less likely to radicalize than their European counterparts (Master's thesis). Naval Postgraduate School.
Aisha stated, "no women suffer more than the believing women," noting that the context involved a woman whose skin had turned green from a beating by her husband. Why should believing women suffer MORE than unbelieving women?
Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Hadith 715
The Quran in Surah 4:34 (regarding hitting wives) and 4:4 (regarding captives) shows that woman can be beaten and exploited.
Surah 4:34:
Men are the protectors and maintainers of women... As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (wa-dribuhunna)..."
While Surah 4:4 dictates giving women their dowry willingly, the broader context of Surah 4 (specifically 4:3 and 4:24) codifies the rights over Ma malakat aymanukum—"those whom your right hands possess"—allowing sexual access to captive women taken during war.
Aisha quotes an authentic hadith in which she secretly followed Muhammad at night. When she returned home panting, Muhammad struck her in the chest, causing her pain, which classical lexicons define as a violent push.
Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 2127
...He [Muhammad] said: 'Was it the darkness of your shadow that I saw in front of me?' I said: 'Yes.' He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: 'Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?'