The a'dam is the closest thing to being mindtrapped or Compelled, so I consider that quite significant and not something to be dismissed so easily, especially since she was so young and quite undeveloped as a character when she went through that.

It just seems to me that Egwene went through bad and traumatic events and didn't really get anything worthwhile in exchange. Compared to Rand, Mat and Perrin, it doesn't look like she got a reward for all of her struggles or at least IMHO becoming the leader of the AS seems more like a punishment than a prize.

For all the issues that Rand, Mat and Perrin went through, they got to experience other moments where they really felt that they achieved a victory, which makes their sacrifices worthwhile in the end. To be blunt, Nynaeve has had a lot of moments where she shined, but she never really went through any struggles, indignities or moments where she was completely under someone elses' power so in many ways, she is more of a Mary Sue than Egwene is. Every time Egwene's had a moment in the spotlight, it always turns out to be connected to someone else. Though she Shielded the Black Ajah Sister, it was Mat that had to release her and the others from the Stone. Though she defeated Mesaana, it had more to do with the Dreamspike Perrin brought to Tar Valon that trapped the Forsaken in T'A'R and then Gawyns' protection of her against the bloodknives. When she defeated the Seanchan, she ended up being rescued after she collapsed by Gawyn, Siuan and Gareth.

For me, it seems that the issue many fans have with Egwenes' character arc is that RJ intends for her to be considered a hero alongside Rand, Mat, Nynaeve and Perrin but she is never really given any moment to shine like they do. And then when she is given a moment that could be considered a victory, fans want to minimize it and tear her down for it. It's sad how much ire she provokes in fans because I really don't think she's gotten a chance to do anything that earned it.