In 2011, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) issued a groundbreaking decision in the case of Alyne da Silva Pimentel Teixeira versus Brazil involving the maternal death of a young Afro‐Brazilian woman. The CEDAW addressed systemic failures in the Brazilian health system that combined to violate Alyne’s rights to life, health and access to maternal health services. Almost five  years later, a technical follow‐up commission was created. This article describes the human‐rights‐based framework of that commission, in addition to its findings related to legal and policy frameworks, evidence‐based programing, and monitoring and oversight of providers.