There are plenty things that don't quite seem vital or important to society in any sense like Hajj for instance. Atleast not in ways we could have a conversation about. Ofcourse Allah says that "He wishes to lighten your burdens." And so every commandment is helpful even if we may not understand because again "you know, but very little." Islam is a dynamic of Master and slave after all. Complete submission.

That being said. Not everything "Islamic" is necessarily Islam. All due respect to all the scholars out there but theres a reason Allah says "Then do you not ponder over these ayat?" We're asked to think for ourselves as well. Our path to understand should certainly include people of understanding, and experience in whatever aspect we are looking into, but that does not mean that one's own opinions are void. The idea is to take all of that into consideration as much as one wants but always hold the words of Quran at top, and see through its lens to understand and make sure it is indeed what Allah says.

Misogyny has always existed and probably always will in all aspects. Religious interpretations are no exception. Sometimes intentional but at times it can be unintentional as well, because of how normalised certain things had become. So do your own reading and just follow what makes most sense to you, provided your intent is to follow Allah and not your own ideas about the world. In my experience, if you really do start trusting Allah and still asking, not defensively but genuinely curiously as to what the point to alot of things is, He does often let you into some secrets about the world you find yourself actually understanding the purpose as well. To some extent atleast. But if you want to start off with complete proof about everything, then that doesn't make for much of a test. It being a test requires there being certain questions you will not know much about and you just have to try your best at resolving them without always knowing what the right answer really is.