Yeah I know, but let's face it we're all trying to force fit evidence

What we have from the books fits to the 21 level list with 11 being the Mean/Median/Mode more closely than trying to fit the average woman at 50% of the strongest...

RJ could simply have been attributing strength to the levels.

Ultimately there is no perfect answer (because RJ wanted the freedom to write as he needed), but IMO this scale works as closely to the evidence as anything I've seen

1. It maps to the Strength differences between Egwene and Nynaeve, while still allowing for Moghedien, Tamela and Viendre
2. It explains how/why AS power differences are so wide, but still allows for even larger power gaps at the top levels.
3. It gives plausible reasons for Rand being so much stronger than any woman but allows for dexterity to narrow the gap when the most skilled of channelers face him (i.e. Lanfear could face him easily despite being significantly weaker in raw strength).
4. It shows how 3 weak AS can hold one of the FS
5. It explains how Nynaeve could match Moghedien as far back as TSR and why Egwene/Elayne were so much weaker than Rand.
6. It fits A Bell Curve (granted on levels not absolute strength).
7. It fits with the BWB statement that most channelers were fairly weak (thus the Curve being centered on levels not strength).